My first YouTube video is up! Bordeaux France!

The name Bordeaux is legendary. It’s the gold standard, the classic benchmark, and, let’s be honest, often the most intimidating word on any wine list. We've all been there: staring at a bottle with a château on the label, wondering what to expect.

I made my first video on Bordeaux recently, https://youtu.be/plCqZ1mC-Bg?si=zv3I-CrqQo8mt5Jd where I discuss facts and figures, costs and living, and all things related to moving to Bordeaux. What I didn't cover was the wine! Let's begin, class!

1. The Core Concept: The Blend is the King

The single most important fact to know about almost all red Bordeaux is this: it's a blend.

Unlike a single varietal wine like a pure Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, red Bordeaux is a harmonious mix of several grapes. Think of it as a choir where each grape adds a unique note:

🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon

• Flavor Profile: Structure, Blackcurrant, Tannin

• The Role in the Blend: The Backbone. Provides power and age-worthiness, dominating the blends on the Left Bank.

🍇 Merlot

• Flavor Profile: Softness, Plum, Red Fruit, Chocolate

• The Role in the Blend: The Flesh. Provides approachability, velvety texture, and dominates the blends on the Right Bank.

🍇 Cabernet Franc

• Flavor Profile: Spice, Earth, Violet Aroma

• The Role in the Blend: The Aromatics. Adds complexity and a floral lift to the final blend.

The key to understanding a bottle of Bordeaux is knowing which grape dominates, and that depends entirely on where it comes from.

2. The Defining Divide: Left Bank vs. Right Bank

Bordeaux is physically split by the Gironde Estuary and the Garonne/Dordogne Rivers. This geographical divide creates two distinct styles of wine:

🔴 The Left Bank (West of the Rivers)

• Dominant Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

• Style: Structured, powerful, highly tannic, and long-lived. These wines take time to age and mellow.

• Soil Type: Gravel (which forces the Cabernet Sauvignon vines to dig deep for water, concentrating their flavors).

• Famous Appellations: Pauillac, Margaux, St-Estèphe, St-Julien, Pessac-Léognan.

• Taste Expectation: Think blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco leaf, and a firm, drying grip (tannin) when young.

🟣 The Right Bank (East of the Rivers)

• Dominant Grape: Merlot

• Style: Softer, fruitier, more approachable in its youth, and plush in texture.

• Soil Type: Clay and Limestone (cooler soils, perfect for retaining water and ripening Merlot).

• Famous Appellations: Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Fronsac.

• Taste Expectation: Think red cherry, plum, chocolate, and a smooth, silky mouthfeel.

In my video, I talked about the wine scene Saint Pierre and Victoire as well—check it out here! https://youtu.be/plCqZ1mC-Bg?si=DQbDxVh6301itxJm

3. Decoding the Label: What You Need to Look For

• Château: This is the Producer Name (the estate where the wine was grown and bottled).

• Appellation: This is the Location (e.g., Margaux, Pomerol). It tells you the dominant grape and the style of the wine (Left or Right Bank).

• Grand Cru Classé: This generally indicates the Quality Tier and, therefore, the price. It's a classification system used to rank the top estates.

4. A Note on Vintages (And Why You Shouldn't Stress)

The weather in France changes every year, which means the vintage (the year the grapes were harvested) is very important.

• Great Vintages (e.g., 2005, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018): These are famous, highly-rated years where the weather was perfect. These wines are often very expensive and are meant to be aged.

• Good Vintages: These are great for everyday drinking! They are much more affordable and ready to enjoy now.

The Pro Tip: Don't chase the big famous vintages unless you plan to lay the bottle down for 10+ years. For immediate drinking, save your money and find a fantastic bottle from a great producer in a good, but not "blockbuster," year.

For the full video on Bordeaux, click here! (But the wine data is all here on the blog!)

https://youtu.be/plCqZ1mC-Bg